As world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Chinese President Xi Jinping notably skipped the session in favour of Washington, where he held talks with US President Donald Trump on the future of artificial intelligence — a signal of how AI governance is rapidly becoming a central axis of great-power diplomacy. The divergence in regulatory philosophies between major economies, including Brazil's multilateral, rights-based approach and Washington's market-driven stance, reflects a broader contest over who sets the rules for emerging technology. With key players cutting separate deals outside the UN framework, smaller and mid-sized nations face growing pressure to align with one vision or risk being sidelined entirely.